Forbidden Items in Trains: A Guide to What You Can't Carry During Your Travel Voyage
Riding the Rails in Kazakhstan: A Guide to Prohibited Items, Traveling with Kids, and Station Security
Jump on Board, But Not with These
Have the itch to explore Kazakhstan by rail? Your journey begins here, as we list items strictly off-limits for transport, based on JSC "Passenger Transport" regulations. Ignore these rules at your own risk - criminal charges may be on the horizon.
- No way for explosives: That includes fireworks, firecrackers, and other potentially dangerous pyrotechnics.
- Say no to narcotics, radioactives, and flammables: This category includes gasoline, methyl ether, methanol, and other flammable liquids and substances.
- Skip the solid flammables: These are hazardous and prohibited.
- Toxic substances are taboo: These can be found in solid or liquid form, and can make for a nasty trip.
- Never transport infected items: They carry biological hazards, and can put you and others at risk.
- Say goodbye to firearms: Crossbows, electric, mechanical, combined, smooth-bore traumatic, gas, impact-detonating items, and more are all banned.
- Leave the ammo at home: Live, signal, traumatic, blank, and loaded hunting cartridges, along with ammunition for gas weapons are verboten.
Vigilant Security at Stations
The safety of its passengers is paramount for the rail industry in Kazakhstan. At larger stations, you'll find X-ray television systems, stationary metal detectors, handheld metal detectors, and portable detectors in use for thorough security checks.
Other security measures include video surveillance, alarm, and panic buttons. Police and security personnel roam these stations 24/7 to keep an eye on things, and monitoring continues throughout your journey. Train cars are equipped with cameras, with footage access limited to authorized personnel.
The video surveillance system covers strategic areas such as entrances, exits, common areas, and train cars. As of today, 1,350 cameras have been installed in 24 "Tальго" train sets, marking the beginning of a phased implementation of the comprehensive control system.
Traveling with Kids and Documentation Requirements
Here are a few tips if you're traveling with children in tow:
- Free Ride for 7 and Under: One child under seven years old can travel without a separate seat per adult. However, when they reach 7, a ticket becomes a necessity.
- 50% Off for Ages 7 to 15: Kids between 7 and 15 pay only half the full adult fare.
- Adult Tickets for Older Teens: From age 15 onward, teens are required to purchase full adult tickets.
- Traveling Alone: From 15, teenagers can travel alone, but they'll need a notarized letter of consent from their legal guardian.
Before you head to the station, make sure to bring the necessary documents, such as a birth certificate or passport (for traveling with a parent) or a notarized letter of permission (for someone other than a legal guardian).
Safe travels, train enthusiasts! Remember to keep the peace, and leave your prohibited items at home.
- In the realm of Kazakhstan's railway industry, strict regulations prohibit the transportation of firearms and ammunition, as well as explosives, narcotics, radioactives, flammables, toxic substances, infected items, and solid flammables.
- At larger stations, public-transit security in Kazakhstan is robust, with the implementation of X-ray television systems, metal detectors, video surveillance, and ongoing police presence to ensure the safety of passengers during their journey.
